PEORIA, Ill. — The Peoria Park District found out Tuesday it’s the recipient of a grant worth over a half-million dollars.
The Open Space Land Acquisition and Development grant, which is administered by the Department of Natural Resources, will enable the district to purchase the Forest Park Nature Center.
District Executive Director Emily Cahill said the $526,000 will pay for the acquisition, and will enable the district to carry out some other plans.
“We are just beginning the process of updates to the exhibits that are in the A-frame welcome center,” she said.
“You’ll be able to see, over the next 18 to 24 months, some really great improvements to the Forest Park Nature Center.”
She said there is a series of executing grant agreements, appraisals, and environmental assessments that must be completed before the acquisition process can be completed.
Still, she said, it’s a formality.
“We’ve managed the Forest Park Nature Center for decades, at this point. Most people probably didn’t even know we didn’t own it.”
Cahill said a conservative timeline as to when the process will be completed is 12 to 18 months.
